Intention
by saltandburnit
Summary: "It cannot be forcefully taken, but it can be forcefully given away." Midoriya Izuku had been warned that if someone were to find out about the nature of his quirk they might try to take it away from him. It still wasn't enough to prepare him for the day someone would actually try it.
1. Chapter 1: Intuition

**Chapter One: Intuition**

Sometimes instincts warn you long before you can even imagine what you're being warned for. Sometimes a feeling of foreboding will try to protect you, to prepare you before it's too late. Most of these times you refuse to listen to it, willfully ignoring the warning signs for the sake of a false normalcy about to be broken in a manner irreversible. Perhaps it is human to do so. Perhaps it is foolish instead. Or maybe, they're both the same to begin with.

Todoroki Shouto was surprised to find himself trapped in one of those mornings, where nothing felt right and the desire to remain hidden away from whatever fate awaited him that day until the feeling passed was great yet impossible to fulfill.

He had slid the shoji window slightly open, the breeze pushing back a few wayward bicolored tufts of hair, still out of place from sleep. With mechanical movements he buttoned up the shirt of U.A.'s trademark school uniform, his gaze remaining without much thought on the outside, or as much of it he could see through the thin gap he had allowed the open window to show. It was still early, too early for him to already be prepared for class, the first hints of sunlight only now brightening the horizon with the warm orange hues of early morning. He wasn't meant to be up quite yet, but any attempt to go back to sleep before had failed.

That was how he ended up a few minutes later in the shared kitchen of the dorm rooms, after his own space had driven him off, as the feeling of a world ready to collapse in itself began to suffocate him. He had expected to be the only one there. He was wrong.

"Midoriya…?" he called out in a soft tone, quiet as to not disturb the comfortable silence found only in those small hours. The boy's back was turned to him, but there was no mistaking that mop of unruly green curls.

To say he jumped would be an understatement and if he was anyone else Todoroki might have laughed at the other's surprised yelp, the short sound much louder than his own greeting. Midoriya turned back to face him, a sheepish smile on his face, his eyes still a little droopy from sleep.

"A-Ah! Todoroki! Good morning…!" Midoriya's usual cheery attitude was ever present even if he had lowered the volume of his voice to match that of the other boy, mindful not to wake the rest of their classmates. "You're up early."

Todoroki raised a challenging brow up at him. "You're one to talk."

The boy let out an awkward chuckle, a matching grin settled on his face. "Ah- well, you see, I couldn't, you know…" he rambled nonsense for a bit, a hand coming to scratch the back of his head. As he trailed off however, the expression faltered and fell, a crease appearing between his brows. The change from his eager ramble to this serious thoughtfulness showed there was more to his awake state than he let on, even before he decided to elaborate on it on his own. "Do you ever… get the feeling something is going to go wrong…? But you- you can't explain why? Or how?"

Todoroki found himself speechless in front of that question. It was a feeling he was familiar with. In fact, his instincts had been going haywire all morning, second-guessing his movements and stealing his sleep. And while bad days of that kind would be normal, though annoying in their nature, the idea that both himself and his classmate suffered from the same kind of unexplained anxiety at the same time was suspicious, not to mention more than a little worrying.

"To-Todoroki…?" Midoriya tried to call to him, concerned that he had said something wrong by accident.

He shook his head against his own thoughts. "Sorry. I know what you mean. I've…" he paused for a second, hesitating to admit how deep his empathy run, as if saying it would somehow make their shared unease more solid, more real. "I've been bothered by it myself. Especially today."

Just as expected, already large green eyes widened even more at the revelation and in a manner complete opposite from his usual bright smile, his lips twisted downwards in an expression of stunned horror. Feeling bad was one thing. Two people sharing that feeling was far too worrying.

In his defense, Midoriya tried to lighten the mood after a few seconds, forcing his grimace into a shaky smile. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence! Right? I mean, it's not like either of us have a premonition quirk!" His chuckle was stilted at best but Todoroki felt obliged to curl his lips upwards just a hint in what could pass for a smile when it came from the usually expressionless boy. After all, Midoriya tried hard not to make him worry, the least he could do was offer some encouragement back. He was most likely right anyway.

It was just a coincidence.

Right?

As the school day went on, it got easier to ignore the weight settled on his chest, the worry that refused to leave. As if his body had found a way to adjust its breathing around it, he went through the motions of the day with it merely a thought at the back of his mind, a mild annoyance noticeable only if he paid attention to it. Todoroki focused on his school work while in class, kept himself busy during the breaks either by observing his classmates' endless banters or burying his nose in a book once more. Despite his self-assigned distractions however, he didn't fail to notice All Might approaching Midoriya's desk after his lesson was over, asking him something in hushed tones. He, too, must have noticed the boy's unusually despondent mood.

Nevertheless, Friday brought forth a certain excitement to most people, as they would be allowed to head home for the weekend, see their families again after being cooped up in the dorms. Todoroki was not one of those people and the idea of heading home was discouraging enough for him to be able to blame the bad mood he was in on that fact alone. It was an excuse he made for himself which would later make it easier for him to ignore his own instincts. It was an excuse he made for himself that would later prevent him from doing anything about it.

Todoroki made his way across the school yard at the end of the classes, heading for the overly large gate. Reluctant though he was to return home, at the very least the school day was over. Hopefully the rest of the day would be just as uneventful.

"Todoroki-kun!"

"Todoroki!"

Two familiar voices reached his ears and he paused in his step, turning around to greet his two friends as they hurried to catch up with him. Iida reached him first with Midoriya close behind him, a grin etched once again on his face though his shoulders were hunched, giving a still rather subdued impression despite the cheery expression.

"Are you heading home, Todoroki-kun?" Iida asked, his posture serious as always, though his featured betrayed he was nothing but friendly towards him.

Todoroki nodded, unable to stop a sideways glance towards Midoriya, who still held on to his own half-hearted joy. The boy's hands held his backpack's straps tightly, his head tilted to the side as he observed his friends. "And you?" Todoroki asked in return, though the question itself seemed directed to Midoriya only, even if that hadn't been a conscious intention.

"Mm-hm!" he hummed. "I'll be heading towards the train station."

At first he wouldn't know why he said it. He didn't know why he had noticed it to begin with, but it certainly made no sense for him to voice the thought out loud. "Don't you and Bakugou leave close by?" he asked, his eyes scanning for their classmate.

Midoriya frowned at the question. Of course he did. Although it was common knowledge by now that he and Bakugou had known each other probably for as long as they could remember, none of them could ever possibly think that they were close in a way that would dictate they would head home together. Yet, in that moment, that forsaken _day_ the idea of Bakugou, unfriendly though he was, going on the train together with his unwilling neighbor comforted Todoroki in a way he couldn't understand. "Yeah…" Midoriya did his best to reply without betraying much of his surprise at the query. "Yeah, but I think… I think I heard Kacchan say he would go somewhere first? I don't know, we don't really…" he trailed off and though Todoroki couldn't know what he meant to say specifically, he at least had a good idea of it.

And he looked at him then, he looked at Midoriya and felt his stomach churn. Midoriya who was still clearly worried about that stupid feeling they both shared but tried to appear joyous for everyone anyway. Midoriya who had gotten so much stronger during their time in U.A., who had fought the Hero Killer with him, who had overcome obstacle after obstacle. Midoriya, dependable, reckless, strong Midoriya who could take care of himself just as well as Todoroki himself and yet he found himself _worrying_ for him, because the feeling of sheer and absolute _wrongness_ persisted regardless of how much time passed and only intensified now at the thought of watching his friend leave on his own. It didn't matter if he was taking a trip he had taken so many times before. It didn't matter if Midoriya could kick some serious ass if he needed to. It didn't matter that between the two of them it was _him_ who had his license already, proof that Todoroki now needed to catch up to him instead.

He looked at him and had to bite his lips to prevent the offer from leaving his mouth. _Let me walk you home. Let me make sure you get home. Something's wrong._

But he didn't say it. Because it was preposterous. It made no sense for him to go so incredibly out of his way to take one of the strongest kids in his class home. Because the bad feeling was probably not a hunch, just a natural aversion to returning home to his father.

Because most of the time you ignore your instincts for the sake of a false normalcy.

With a warning of _'be careful'_ , he bid his friends farewell and headed home, repeating to himself how his classmate was strong enough, he didn't need his help, there was nothing to worry about, again and again until he found himself believing it. He didn't realize then that when he had tried to reason with himself about Midoriya's ability to take care of himself he had neglected to note the boy's incredible knack for being reckless, his bad luck or his tendency to attract the worst kind of trouble. He had neglected to remember how Midoriya had basically been involved in every unfortunate incident to happen during their school year, one of which consisted of a personal run in with a villain in the middle of the day in a busy area no one would ever think that particular villain would appear in.

"See you soon!" Midoriya called back.

But he didn't.

* * *

A/N: Welp. This is my first BNHA fic. I hope I don't butcher the characters too much. I have a few things planned for it but not enough so let's all collectively hope I don't write myself into a wall. POVs will probably change depending on chapter/scene. Also this will be a multichaptered fic and I cannot stress how important reviews are for multichaptered fics so if you did like this rather short (sorry) first chapter, please leave a comment before leaving. Or even if you didn't like it, please let me know just as well. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2: Apprehension

Yagi Toshinori could tell his bad days with a lot more ease than most people. Mostly because they started with an incredible amount of pain centered at the age old wound on his stomach and spreading without mercy every inch of his limbs. It varied from the feeling of hundreds of knives, burning hot, sticking into him all at once, the scar on his stomach a target for them to aim for, to a heavy, consistent ache like something was settled on top of him, unwilling to move. And though the latter was a lot more bearable, should it continue for the entire course of the day, that too, could prove so much to bear.

Nevertheless, he got himself out of bed and got to his job, not wanting to neglect his responsibilities, though he would no doubt be visiting Recovery Girl at some point during the day.

He struggled through the one class he had to teach that day, only to find out he wasn't the only one who wasn't having the best of days. After Midoriya had looked far too forlorn for the entirety of their lesson, even if the content of which was one surely to excite his favourite student, Toshinori couldn't resist going over to him to figure out what was wrong. Even more surprising than the boy's lack of excitement however, was the way he waved off his concerns, with a stammered ramble about it being _nothing really!_ And _everything's fine!_ And _just a little more paranoid than I'm used to_.

And that was that because even if in different circumstances, he may have tried harder to pry it out of the boy, that day, when the pain still made itself known, refusing to spare him even a short break, he couldn't bring himself to remain in the presence of his students like this for any longer. Minutes later he would crash into the couch at the teacher's room, prepared to spend the rest of the day there if it meant he wouldn't have to move any more.

Which was why he hadn't realized how much time had passed when he felt his phone ring in his pocket. Which was why, even if people hardly called him, he didn't immediately worry before picking it up.

"Hello?" he all but groaned at the phone, head tilted back against the couch. He hadn't bothered to check the caller ID. When a feminine voice replied, he wished he had.

"A-All-Might?" His name sounded like a high-pitched squeak from the other side of the line, hesitant and almost in awe at having to say that name on the phone.

And although he had personally told the owner of that voice that she was free to call him whenever she needed anything, the sound of her voice stirred a feeling of foreboding that worsened his day more than his pain did.

It took him a moment to reply, for his brain to grasp what was happening. "Midoriya… san?"

He thought he could hear her nodding. "Ah, yes, yes! I'm terribly sorry for the intrusion-"

"No apology necessary…" he mumbled, still in shock from the unexpected phone call. "Is something wrong?"

She paused and Toshinori sat up in his spot, a hand automatically coming to clench the wound on his stomach. "Midoriya-san?"

"Is Izuku with you?"

His breath caught in his throat, his mind went back to the troubled look his young student wore on that day. With his own pain and the boy's wish to return to home rather soon today, they had decided to skip their lesson. Therefore, not only was Izuku not with him but he was _definitely_ supposed to be home by now.

"Has he not returned home yet?" He knew the answer already, but he needed to hear it. He needed to make sure there's trouble before he went looking for a way to solve it.

When Inko's voice sounded again, she had understood already that her son wasn't with his mentor after all. The shakiness had increased and if Toshinori was really quiet he could hear her holding back a sob. "He-he hasn't returned- or called! I-I tried calling him but he won't answer. I thought he might have been with you, but- but if you haven't seen him…" she trailed off, a sniffle replacing the rest of the sentence.

Toshinori looked at the clock on the wall. Young Midoriya was late indeed.

This didn't sit right with him. He was supposed to return earlier that day, he was supposed to be home, he was supposed to-

 _Just a little more paranoid than I'm used to._

He rubbed a hand over his face. _Did you know it, my boy? Did you know something was wrong?_ Slowly, he got up, closing his eyes against the pain all over his body. There were more important things to be done and he'd be damned if he let it stop him from helping his student in need. _Why didn't you say anything?_

"Midoriya-san, I'll call his classmates, see if anyone might know where he is. Maybe he just forgot to call home." Even as he said it, he knew Midoriya would not do that to his mother. "I'll call back as soon as possible. Please let me know if he shows up."

"Of- Of course! Thank you, All Might, thank you so much!"

The raw gratitude he heard made his heart ache. With that they said their goodbyes and Toshinori went off in search of Aizawa. As the homeroom teacher, he would no doubt have a student roster. Plus he could use the help. There were a lot of phone calls to be made.

"Hello? Bakugou residence. Who is this?"

Toshinori bit back a sigh at the sound of Bakugou Mitsuki. It had to be the first call to be made, what with the two boys living so near each other in spite of their bad relationship. If Midoriya had at least attempted to go straight home, Bakugou Katsuki would be the most likely one to have seen him.

"Bakugou-san, this is All Might. Pardon the intrusion-"

"All _Might?_ " she called in surprise, followed by a sound in the background he couldn't place. "Why are you- _What did he do?!_ "

Oh dear.

"No, no, Bakugou-san, your son hasn't done anything wrong, but is it possible for me to speak to him?"

Mitsuki did not sound convinced. "Oh, didn't he? Then what is this about?" Voices still came from the background, the noise getting louder. He briefly thought he heard a yell or two but it was impossible to make out the words.

"I was wondering if young Bakugou had seen Midoriya on his way home from school today? Or if he knew where he might be?"

He regretted not asking Katsuki directly when Mitsuki's yell pierced his ears even from the phone. "Ka _tsuki_! Do you know where Izuku is?!"

This time the reply from the background was unmistakeable.

" _THE FUCK SHOULD I CARE?"_

"Your teacher's asking, you _little shit_!"

There was a lot of grumbling, yelling, complaining and something that was louder than a thump but not loud enough to imply something was broken. Less than a minute later, the phone was obviously switched from mother to son and an entirely different voice answered.

"What?"

Toshinori rubbed at his eyes. "Bakugou, my boy, hello. This is All Might. Is there any chance you've seen Midoriya at all today?"

"Only at school," he replied, but the tension in his tone seemed to be replaced by a quiet curiosity.

"You didn't return home together?"

" _No_." The word was sharp and brimming with annoyance but when he spoke again it had all but vanished. "What's this about?"

It hurt to admit it out loud, the words stuck in the tip of his tongue, refusing to be spoken. Saying it, admitting that none of them knew where Midoriya was, that Izuku was essentially _missing_ made the whole situation a lot more real. And a lot more scary. "Midoriya's mother called a little while ago. It seems he has yet to return from school. Any idea where he might be?"

"No fucking clue. That shitty little fuck will probably show up sooner or later, apologizing like a moron."

Toshinori hoped more than anything then that foul language aside, Bakugou was right about this. "Even so, do inform me if you hear anything. Or even if you get an idea of where he could have gone."

The boy's grunt was good enough of a response.

Aizawa looked over his shoulder as he crossed yet another name off his list. So far all of the boy's classmates had been concerned yet clueless. And time passed, uncaring of their predicament.

"Any luck?" his colleague asked, even if he could tell that no real progress was made.

Toshinori leaned back on his chair, exhaustion radiating off of him. "So far young Iida was the last one who might have seen him. He went to the train station with him but they took different trains so he has no way of knowing if he ever boarded his."

Aizawa nodded, brows furrowed in thought. "Who's next on your list?"

"Todoroki Shouto." He paused for a moment before he asked the question he had been dreading since he had offered Midoriya Inko to call her son's classmates for her. "What are we going to do if nobody has seen him?"

"Check the train station for one thing. _Now make the call_."

"Todoroki residence. This is Fuyumi speaking."

"Good evening, Todoroki-san. This is All Might. Excuse the intrusion, but would it be possible for me to speak to young Todoroki?"

At the surprised chortle the woman made, Toshinori wondered if perhaps him calling Endeavor's son on his home phone wasn't the best of ideas. Oh well, nothing to be done about it now.

Fuyumi promptly called for her younger brother and soon a soft, quiet voice broke the silence. "Hello?"

He smiled a little at the gentle tone. Todoroki was really changing. "Todoroki, my boy, hello. Forgive me for the late hour. I was wondering if you had seen young Midoriya today?"

It could have been just static but he thought he heard the boy's breath catch. "Midoriya…?" A deep breath that sounded forced came before his next words did, stilted, falsely calm. "Did something happen? Is he all right?"

Toshinori narrowed his eyes at the response. Todoroki had been more instantly concerned than the rest of his classmates as if he had expected something bad to happen in the first place. He wasn't certain if him knowing something in that context however was a good or a bad thing.

"Young Midoriya has yet to return home. His mother is very worried about him. When did you last see him, my boy?"

There was a pause on the other line, one that lasted far too long for such a simple question. Heavy breathing as though someone was trying to compose oneself was the only sound going through. "Todoroki?" he called out again.

"I saw him as we left school…" came the cold reply whose emotionless posterior cracked with every word. "I wanted to- I should have…" He trailed off, halting his speech entirely until he was certain he wouldn't ramble. " _Find him_."

Toshinori startled at the seriousness of that request, confused by the earlier turmoil. That boy was usually not so expressive. "Todoroki my boy… Is there something you're not telling me?"

Todoroki hesitated. "Just… Find him. Something's wrong. I know it. He… he knew it too."

Blood run cold in his veins as his student's words from earlier that day echoed once again in his mind, what was once a dismissal now a terrible irony. _Just a little more paranoid than usual._ He should have been. And one could only hope that paranoia had kept him safe but as more and more people claimed to have no idea where he was and time passed on it was increasingly unlikely that it had been enough for prevent things. Whatever those things may have been.

He bid the boy goodbye and hung up the phone. For a moment, a long, stretched bout of silence that lasted far too little to give him any peace of mind, he remained still, quiet, contemplating. Toshinori had saved a lot of people. Fighting villains with his quirk was second nature to him. The worst cases were cases like this. Where the villain, if there was one, remained hidden, unseen and the only thing he could face was a heavy, suffocating unknown that threatened to hurt the very people he had vowed to protect. When those people happened to be his student, his _successor,_ Izuku of all the possibilities, then things had gotten the ugliest of turns yet.

Suddenly the phone calls just didn't seem good enough.

The train station wasn't insufferably busy this late in the day, yet it still proved hard to bother the employees long enough to get some of the information they needed. After a lot of redirecting, running around and testing Aizawa's fleeting patience they were able to get most of the names of those working at the approximate Midoriya Izuku should have attempted to take the train that day. More phone calls were to be made and with every vague _yeah, I think I saw him earlier,_ or _I don't really remember faces_ , or any other reply that led them no further than they already were, the photo of the young boy Toshinori held in his hand felt like it was burning his fingertips in accusation to their complete and utter uselessness. The piece of paper itself was kindly provided by the boy's mother who had to be informed of the fact that none of her son's classmates had any idea where he could be.

The shock, the denial, the _grief_ painted all over her features would haunt Toshinori for years.

Especially if they failed to soothe it.

But he couldn't let himself think about that.

Aizawa had just informed him that they were finally allowed to check the security cameras, even if apparently Midoriya was not considered 'missing' quite yet- a protocol that served only to infuriate both of them- when the sensation of someone watching them paused him in his step. He looked over at his colleague and noticed that he too was scrutinizing the area around them.

With slow, steady steps he headed over to where he thought he had seen a shadow move before. They were, of course, still many people going about with their business but Toshinori was certain he had seen someone hiding.

What he saw was something he didn't expect but perhaps he should have seen it coming regardless.

"Young Todoroki?"

Todoroki Shouto had the decency to look disheartened at having been caught there at such a late time, his gaze cast on the ground in dejection. The pillars holding and adorning the station would provide good cover under normal circumstances and it was almost nothing but sheer luck and timing that had given away the boy's position. The boy who made no attempt to explain his presence here.

"Todoroki, my boy, what are you doing here at this hour?" Toshinori tried again. Aizawa had joined the both of them and he looked like he was once again wondering where he had gone wrong -or right- with the definition of recklessness that was Class 1-A.

Though he probably wished it possible, Todoroki couldn't ignore the question when it was asked directly to his face. "I wanted to help him," he admitted. "He's my friend. I should have- Earlier, I-" He changed his mind on whatever he intended to say and trailed off, awaiting the teachers' reaction to his behavior.

Toshinori ran a hand through his face, the stress and the pain of that day coming around in waves of exhaustion that could have shaken him where he stood. Even so he had a student to face and a student to find, so tired -scared, pained- though he may have been he wouldn't give up so easily. "Todoroki, that was very reckless of you."

"He would have done the same for me."

He would. Of course he would. Midoriya himself could probably match the recklessness of his entire class by himself. "Noble though that may be, perhaps young Midoriya's behavior isn't one that should be copied in this manner."

"What did you find?" Todoroki asked instead of responding.

Aizawa sighed. "Nothing of importance. He was here all right. What happened afterwards however, where he went, if he left in the first place, is still a mystery."

The boy nodded, his eyes narrowed slightly, fists clenched at his sides. "So what now?"

Toshinori decided it wouldn't hurt too much to let the boy come along to watch the security videos with them. Three heads are better than two, or something of that logic. Still, as they walked to the security room of the station, the kid asked the one question neither of them wanted to think about just yet.

"Why Midoriya?"

He wanted to protest. He wanted to insist that the kid was most likely just lost, or he got a little hurt and was stuck somewhere he couldn't return home from in his condition and they would find him soon enough and scold him for failing to inform anyone of his predicament. Midoriya Izuku would be fine, because somehow he always was.

Instead he remained quiet, his heart clenching so tightly in his chest he couldn't _breathe_.

* * *

A/N: Not sure how to All Might. Very not sure how to Bakugou. Ah, well. Hope you liked it. This took a bit longer to upload than expected. Hope it was worth the wait! Also Merry Christmas! Give your friendly author a present and leave them a review! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3: Indignation

**Chapter 3: Indignation**

Bakugou Katsuki had a very thin line separating his good days from his bad ones. It could be because most of anything pissed him off and handled a great amount of his life with an aggression that had become by now, the default, whether that meant talking to someone or just yelling at the bacteria that dared to cohabitate his mouth to, _die, you fuckers, die_. Still, even Bakugou had good days and bad days and at least he himself knew how to tell them apart and that was good enough since it wasn't really anyone else's business now, was it? For example, coming out on top in that training exercise three days ago? Good day. Getting a call to ask about _fucking Deku_ of all people the day after? Definitely a bad one.

Even so, annoying though that may have been, Bakugou had forgotten most about it- heck, he was even glad when he couldn't spot that green little shithead anywhere on his way to school- and was only reminded of the reason behind the phone call in the first place when, after a surprisingly quiet weekend, he walked once again into his classroom.

A classroom whose usual overactivity that got into his nerves had been replaced by hushed tones and almost frightful glances. A classroom that collectively turned to him when he opened the door with a desperate sort of hope in their eyes that quickly crumbled into that strained denial and their gazes shifted back to each other, or the ground or, in a lot of cases, to the one seat that was still vacant. It caught his gaze too and only then did he remember exactly what the phone call had been about.

" _Midoriya's mother called a little while ago. It seems he has yet to return from school."_

Was he… was he actually _still missing_?

Someone would have said something, wouldn't they?

"Bakugou…" Kirishima called out for him, his brows furrowed to match the sad little pout on his face. He didn't think he had ever seen the normally cheery guy looking so morose before. "Any chance you and Midoriya came together and he's just keeping a safe distance from you?" he joked without humor, visibly tensing at the mention of their classmate's name.

The entire class shifted their attention to him once again, their piercing eyes making his blood boil. Fucking hell.

"Haven't seen him," Bakugou said, as if it was by mere chance he and Deku hadn't run into each other.

As if his- his _what exactly_?- wasn't apparently still _missing_.

Their teacher decided to show up just then, with a grumpiness that couldn't match his own but definitely tried and ordered him to take a seat. Aizawa paused in front of his desk and took a good look at each and every one of them, lingering ever so slightly at the empty seat before addressing the class.

"I know All Might was supposed to teach your first class today but seeing as he's…" a small sigh that balanced precariously somewhere between annoyed and understanding left his lips before continuing. "... otherwise engaged I will be replacing him for today." He paused then as if he considered whether or not to tell them anything about the subject at all. "Needless to say, if any of you hear anything, I mean _anything_ about Midoriya, be it a rumor or a piece of information that slipped your mind at the time, you are to inform a teacher _immediately_. Preferably All Might or myself."

Uraraka raised a shaky hand and with another long winded sigh she was free to speak. "Sensei… has their been… no news at all?"

"I'm not supposed to discuss this with you…"

"Sensei, _please!_ " the girl tried again, getting up from her seat in her haste. "Please, he's our friend."

Before the chorus of agreements from the rest of the students escalated too much, Aizawa motioned them all to settle down. "All right, all right. All we know so far is that Midoriya boarded his train to go home, but he was never seen getting out of it. We've searched the locations but we have yet to find any clues. All Might is currently with the police, reviewing the tapes again and trying to think of a possible course of action. I'm sorry, but for now there's not much to tell."

Uraraka fell back into her seat with a miserable flop, shoulders hunched and gaze cast down to the ground, shining with tears still unshed. Her mood spread to the rest of the class fast and in the unnatural quiet that spread it was hard to even breathe.

Bakugou tensed in his seat, discreet enough of a movement to remain unnoticed. What the fuck did Deku get himself into this time? As annoying as the cheerful chaos that usually ruled over the class was, this frightened lack of life was even more of a pain to deal with.

 _He got on his train but wasn't seen getting out._

If Bakugou had been on train with him, what would have… ?

He shook his head against the thought. No fucking way was he thinking about that.

The rest of the class passed by in that same suffocating quiet, obvious to anyone with eyes that neither students nor teachers were feeling very much up to doing their jobs that day. The lessons were strained, uninteresting and after a point far too soon in the day, Bakugou had trouble holding back small explosions fueled by sheer annoyance alone. If a teacher took notice however, they made no move to stop him.

He wondered if they mistook it for worry over the missing classmate. That thought alone brought its own explosion to his hands.

If he had hoped to find any peace at lunchtime, his dreams were shattered as soon as they were dismissed by just about the last person he wanted to talk to at the moment. Or, you know, _ever_.

"Bakugou," Todoroki called, stopping in front of his desk to prevent any attempts at fleeing.

The glare he gave off could have made many cower. Unfortunately Todoroki just wasn't one of them. Especially not when he was in that mood. He looked as though he hadn't slept well in a while, circles dark enough to match Shinsou Hitoshi's decorating the skin under his eyes, while a scowl appeared to be permanently fixed to his face. And though Bakugou would not notice details of his appearance, he could no doubt see, or rather sense, something _very wrong_ about the boy that day.

"The fuck do you want, _Half Face_?" he all but growled at him.

Before Todoroki could answer him however, their teacher's approach made them both pause. Aizawa pocketed his phone, staring at the two of them with a look that betrayed his exhaustion, which was, impossible though it may seem, even more apparent than usual.

"Bakugou, we need to talk."

Bakugou didn't reply and his lack of a snarky remark was as good as an agreement.

Aizawa's eyes refused to blink as he spoke, almost as if he was about to erase a quirk that would have allowed the boy to lie at the moment. "Are you absolutely _certain_ you didn't see Midoriya at all on your way home on Friday?"

"I already fucking _told_ you I didn't!" he snarled at whoever had stopped to listen to this, which, to his annoyance, included more than a few of his classmates. "Why are you asking me again?"

His teacher closed his eyes for a second, patience -or perhaps a will to live- running out quickly. "Because All Might was just on the phone with me. Apparently, you and Midoriya _did_ end up boarding the same train, Bakugou. You were in there together."

If Bakugou sensed the stares of his classmates burning holes into him, he made no move, he didn't even send a glare their way. Instead he narrowed his eyes at the hero, the words he had spoken registering at their own pace in his mind. _You were in there together_.

"What the _shit._ "

Before finding out the truth about One For All, Bakugou had caught sight of Deku going inside the teacher's lounge once or twice during lunch and fleeting thoughts of what the fuck was his business there had occurred at the time. Yet as he was standing on the opposite side of that door that day, he only wanted to be outside of it. Somewhere Deku's fucking whereabouts didn't concern him in the slightest.

"I told you already, he _wasn't there_."

Aizawa scowled for half a second and Bakugou had to wonder if impossibly his teacher hated this conversation more than he did. "And pray tell," he insisted. "How can you be so certain?"

"Be _cause_ I went through the entire fucking thing looking for a damned place to sit, that's how! Don't you think I would have noticed fucking Deku is he was in there with me?"

His teacher leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his face. "Very well. At least that gives us a clue." He retrieved his phone as he got up from his chair, called All Might to inform him.

Bakugou didn't pay any attention to him while he told his colleague that whatever had happened to the young boy it must have been between the time the two students boarded the train. Instead, he tried to think back again to that day, tried to recall everything in as much detail as possible. Something must have been off, something must have gone wrong.

His fists clenched at his sides, palms itching to let his quirk loose. The revelation bothered him more than he would ever admit. His feelings for Deku aside, he was a _hero, dammit_. Heroes were supposed to save people. Not let them kidnap their classmates right under their noses.

Unable to deal with his own frustration or the conversation happening next to him, Bakugou got up with a glare fixed on his face. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket to force himself to stop with the impromptu explosions already and almost burned a piece of paper forgotten ther-

Wait.

A _what_?

Eyes wide with shock didn't look down until shaky fingers pulled the offending item out of his pocket. He unwrapped it, careful to keep himself from burning it. The words hastily -or perhaps the handwriting was just bad by its nature- scribbled upon it made his blood run cold faster than Half And Half's quirk would.

Only then did he remember an event unimportant on its own, yet almost terrifying in context. Just as he had gotten in the train- A man, he- he had bumped into him. And then he had gotten _off_ of it.

He was the only one who had gotten close enough to sneak a note into his jacket. Deku hadn't been on the train with him. Not for more than a few minutes anyway.

Bakugou rushed over to where his teachers were still talking and yanked the phone away without permission. Aizawa didn't protest but narrowed his eyes at him, mildly curious. All Might halted his speech from the other side as well, waiting once he had figured out what had happened.

The boy had to keep his anger in check as he told his teacher the second last thing he wanted to hear about this situation.

"They know, All Might. They _fucking_ know."

The way the man's breath hitched was audible over the phone, a sign that he had understood what his student had meant without further explanation. A student who, still shaking in anger, glared at the words mocking them from the crumbled paper.

 _Secret's out, All Might._

* * *

Too far away to be heard if he screamed, emerald eyes widened despite their daze, terror and pain mixing in a pitiful sight no one was close enough to fix.

And though he knew All Might did not have his powers anymore, a childish, frightened part of Izuku wished with all his heart for his childhood hero to come get him out of there.

* * *

 _A/N: Hey! I know it's been a long time since my last update. Thank you to that one person who asked me if everything was okay, that was really sweet and it made me smile. Here we have our finals during January-February so you can guess why there was a serious lack of time for my to work on this fic. Still, I hope it was worth the wait. Thank you everyone for your patience! I'll try to get a little bit of Izuku's POV in the next one, though I still don't know if the whole chapter is going to be presented that way._

 _Also friendly reminder that I do have a tumblr and I'm very eager to talk about the series or writing or anything else with you. Find me at saltfics . tumblr. com_

 _Till next time~_


	4. Chapter 4: Trepidation

**Chapter 4: Trepidation**

Izuku was spared of the realization that he was, once again, way in over his head, if only because of the fact that he couldn't focus on anything for more than a few moments. The blinding pain in the back of his head made the world shift in and out of focus, where the colors were too bright when he could see them and the darkness too alarming when he couldn't.

All he really saw were faces. Not of his captors, of the people hurting him, not while he was in this state. But the faces of his loved ones, appearing, then fading again, a bit of hope, a hint of strength, a painful twinge of guilt accompanying them. His mother's gentle smile, her tear-stained eyes that beckoned him home, All-Might's million-dollar grin, shining the brightest when he was proud of his successor, or Iida's and Uraraka's cheerful calls to him, happy to be near him. Todoroki's uncertain, tender friendliness that would warm his heart.

Oh, how he wanted to go _home_.

He wondered if they missed him even half as much as he desperately wished to see them.

Footsteps echoed out in the hall, audible even through the heavy, steel door that separated him from the world outside. _They must be close_. Louder and louder. _They must be right outside._

He tried to take a deep breath, yet all he achieved was a shaky mess of whimper. Not again, not again, not again. _Please_.

How long had he been in here? Not long enough, not long at all, if he still clung to the childish hope that All Might -sickly, powerless All Might- would come to his rescue, would bring help and smile at him, a smile so bright suddenly it wouldn't hurt anymore, they wouldn't touch him again, it would be all right, because…

All Might couldn't be here.

The door creaked open and Izuku wondered if anyone would even know where to find him.

"Ι know we still have quite a few letters to go," a misleadingly gentle voice called, sending a chill down a spine aching from the awkward position it had been forced in. "But I think it'd be best for everyone involved, if you gave it up already, Izuku."

 _Shut up,_ he wanted to scream. _Shut up, you don't get to call me that. All Might doesn't call me that. My friends don't call me that. You_ don't get _to_ call _me that._

But if his breathing was hard, then so was speaking and a raspy, breathless voice would not be considered threatening, even if you didn't take his bound state into account. Instead he glared, emerald green eyes burning with hatred they held for very few things in this world, fighting off their daze for this one, simple (pointless) act of defiance.

The glint of metal against the single yet harsh light caught his eye and his gaze faltered slightly.

"So, how about it?"

Sometimes, in moments of distress, Midoriya would often think along the lines of _what would Kacchan do_? And sometimes, the answer to that question was better than others.

"Fuck you," he all but growled.

This one was not one of the good responses. It made him feel so much better nonetheless.

The villain sighed, as though he had truly expected a better response from him. As though Midoriya would ever, _ever_ comply to their request. As though pain was something he feared enough to betray the one person who believed in him and surviving was more worthy than keeping his promise. He could never believe that.

"Very well, then. Where were we?"

Freezing cold hands reached to undo the sloppy bandages around the young hero's torso and Izuku lost against his own pride when he shut his eyes tightly, refusing (unable) to watch. His stomach took a painful twist at the feel of the cold edge of the knife against his skin. Nausea took over his brain before the pain did. He willed himself, once again, not to scream.

He failed every single time.

* * *

He often tried to recall how he got there. It was an exercise in both futility and self-deprecation. Replaying the scene over and over in his mind, pinpointing the moments he went wrong, what he could have done differently. Could he have saved himself? Could he have at least warned someone? Left a clue?

The part which frustrated him the most was that he _had_ , in fact, listened to his ridiculous gut instinct of something being wrong that day. He had been worried out of his mind with his uncalled for paranoia, so despite their exaggerated differences, Izuku had chosen to wait, as discreetly as possible, to catch Kacchan's train, instead of leaving early on his own. He had swallowed his pride and he had waited, feeling increasingly stupid with every passing minute and yet he had gotten caught _anyway._

If he ever, by some miracle, got out of this alive, he was leaving out that part of the story.

As soon as he caught sight of Kacchan approaching the station, Izuku boarded the train he was certain the other boy would board as well and buried himself in the crowd. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to talk to his classmate, even less that he longed for some sort of protection. But the idea of a familiar, albeit hostile, face in the train ride with him that day made him feel better, more reassured.

 _Right_.

That was when things went so very, _very_ wrong.

The man must have had at least two Quirks. Whether he got them as a combination of his parents', like Todoroki had, or through other, more questionable means, Izuku couldn't know. They had been perfect for the job, however.

First came the numbness. It wasn't paralysis, not quite, though in the end the result was about the same. In mere seconds, it was as if all energy was drained from his body. His eyes grew heavier, he swayed. Before he could understand what had gone wrong, Izuku was pliable as a doll in the man's arms, who wasted no time in leading them both out of there.

That was where the second Quirk came in. Invisibility, or perhaps a general inability to be perceived by those around him unless pointed out -he hadn't had the energy to test out the theory back then- and though his captor was acknowledged by the rest of the travelers on that train, Izuku could have just as well not even existed at the moment.

He had to hand it to him. The man must have had some serious slight of hand experience to be able to navigate a ragdoll-like boy nobody else could see through a crowd, without drawing unnecessary attention to himself.

Except for that one moment.

It was almost funny, in a tragic, desperate sort of way how a person he had associated with so much fear and pain would bring him even the barest hint of hope at that moment. And hope he did. Through the blur in his mind, the exhaustion that left him limp and helpless, Izuku saw Kacchan at that moment and there was _hope_ to be felt, even when the danger had failed to register in his fuddled mind yet.

"Ka-" he found the strength within himself to try, but not enough of it for him to be able to _fight back_. A hand placed quickly in front of his mouth silenced him with little effort. All he could do, as his captor collided with his classmate on purpose, to distract him enough to slip a piece of paper in his pocket, was _despair_. Because that single piece of paper meant that this whole charade was something planned, something real. Izuku was the target for a reason and this whole thing was more dangerous than he had thought.

By then it was too late to start fighting.

Outside the train now, he struggled weakly in the man's grasp, who had no trouble subduing him. He tossed, squirmed, pushed with movements pathetically weak, until all the little energy he had left was drained and he allowed himself to pass out wholly into the other's greedy arms.

His last thought echoed with surprising clarity to such a foggy brain.

 _I'm sorry, Mom, All Might._

* * *

It took a while for the screaming to slow down into heavy pants, wheezy inhales. Tears washed away the blood and grime from his cheeks, did little for the rest of his body. His jaw hurt from clenching, his wrists were cut from struggling against the restrains, his back ached from arching with such intensity. Yet all those feelings went unregistered, overshadowed by the white-hot _agony_ on his chest, where the blood still flowed freely from the fresh wound, pooling at his feet.

The man took a step back, admiring his handiwork.

"Well, we still have a long way to go. Are you sure you didn't change your mind?"

The glare may have been less threatening coming from eyes drowning in their own tears, but the hatred behind them burned with as much passion as it had before.

He sighed. "All right, all right. Your loss." He paused for a second, a hand tucked under his chin, contemplating something. "Would you- would it make you feel better if you got _permission_ first?" Izuku stared, uncomprehending. "Yes, we could do that. I could do that for you, hang on."

This time he did speak, for a sick feeling had settled in his stomach. "W-What…?" It was a feeble, disgraceful sound. It was more than he thought himself capable of.

"Shush, hang on."

The man raised a hand to halt him, while with the other he fished a phone out of his pocket. After a few minutes of fumbling with it, he brought it to his ear for a couple of seconds, nodded once, satisfied, then turned on the speakerphone so they would both be able to listen.

The voice which greeted them on the other line made his blood run cold. Although it resonated with an uncanny emotional exhaustion, it would be impossible not to recognize it.

 _"Hello…?"_ the voice said, almost hesitant to answer the phone.

Izuku gaped at his captor, a fresh wave of tears gathering in his eyes.

 _"Speak_ ," the man mouthed, a fake oblivious smile twisting his features into something rotten.

He let out a shuddering breath. Eventually though, he did just as told.

"A-All M-Might…?"


	5. Chapter 5: Isolation

**Chapter 5: Isolation**

It was in the middle of class that the world ended.

It was nearing a week since Midoriya Izuku's disappearance and the heavy weight crushing his lungs only managed to get more and more unbearable with each passing hour, each passing minute. Izuku was gone - _abducted,_ he kept reminding himself, this was no accident- and they weren't any closer to finding him than they had been on the first day they had lost him. What they _had_ found was a hint of a reason, but one that rendered this case all the more terrifying. And it pointed all fingers straight to him.

The idea that Izuku, his successor was targeted because of his quirk, because of his relationship to him, because of what _he had done to the boy_ churned in his gut and the pain there had refused to leave the entire time.

Even so, after the first few days, he was reminded that there were _other_ students in this school and even with his successor missing, he still had a teaching job, if he wanted it. He didn't know how he was going to face his students- his grieving students, worried out of their minds- with the knowledge he was _responsible_ for their pain, lingering in the back of his mind. He wouldn't- _couldn't_ put on a smile for them, but he would try his best to at least be there. If they were going to go through this, they might as well do it together. Despite how he was used to shouldering things on his own, this was something that deeply affected them all-

 _(Todoroki sneaking out at a train station after hours in search of his friend-)_

 _(Bakugou grabbing the phone from his teacher's hands to growl with an anger that had little to do with his usual annoyance-)_

Once again, class 1-A was in this together.

And that was how he had ended up in the middle of teaching a very half-hearted, uncomfortably tense class, when his phone rang.

Teachers were not supposed to keep their phones on during lessons. Given the current circumstances, some exceptions were to be made.

Following a quiet, muttered apology to his students, Toshinori answered the call. The voice on the other end sent the world tumbling down around him.

" _A-All M-Might?"_

His free hand shot to the edge of the desk to steady himself. Though his body had gone rigid, his legs threatened to crumble beneath him, as the weak, breathless voice on the phone brought twin waves of terror and relief crushing over him.

"Midoriya…?" he breathed out, the sound softer, quieter than he had ever called the boy's name before.

A collective gasp was heard throughout the class, but he was quick enough to raise his hand again to quiet them before chaos erupted. He couldn't miss a word his lost student told him.

" _All Might..!"_ Izuku choked on the line, the beginnings of a sob audible in the back of his throat. All Might fought hard to breathe against that sound. He had seen the boy cry so many times. Never before had it been this soul-crushing combination of sadness and fear twisted like a whirlwind in the young boy's heart. " _I-I…"_ he struggled, yet failed to continue.

"Where are you, my boy? Do you know where you are?" Toshinori tried to make him focus, to halt the overwhelming emotion tormenting his student until it obstructed all attempts to speak a coherent thought.

" _Ask him…"_ came a different voice then, no more than whisper that was clearly not directed his way. There was nothing malicious about it, save for a misplaced gleeful edge to it. It still froze the blood in his veins, for it meant Izuku _wasn't alone._

* * *

Izuku looked at his captor through tear-filled eyes, any attempts at keeping his composure destroyed at the worried voice of his mentor, so familiar, yet so far away from him. _He was right there, right there, All Might was right there and he couldn't help him, he couldn't help him_ \- and faced at the prospect of asking _that_ question he understood-

He was _never_ getting out of there, was he?

"Don't stall now," the man instructed once more, words spoken barely loud enough to be heard. "Come on, just ask him."

"No, _no_ ," he sobbed, rapidly shaking his head, the tears now streaming freely down his face, gathering the blood and grime gathered there as they fell. He must have made quite a sight, caked blood and dirt marring his face, with two twin lines cutting through the mess, dulling the colors. "I don't _want_ to…"

"Well, you have to!" he chirped. "Otherwise, we'll just keep going. Is that what you want? I'm doing this for you, Izuku. To give you some closure, lessen your guilt, et cetera..."

"F-Fuck off."

* * *

All Might was _seething_. He could hear the conversation his boy was having with his captor, _his captor_. All the misguided relief he had received at hearing his student, away but _alive,_ was gone now, replaced by an ever-growing rage at the man who had dared lay a hand on him, who had taken him from his loved ones, not only hurting him but _mocking him_ with it and he had the _nerve_ to imply that anything of what he did was for Izuku's sake. Even this phone call, he was certain was more of a chance to tease, much like that provocative piece of paper had been, than a favor to his captive.

He couldn't reprimand the boy for his swearing; he merely wished Izuku's voice was shaking a bit less, for the man deserved all the hatred behind those two words _(and he couldn't bear to hear a young hero so brave sound helpless that way)._

"Midoriya, my boy, what is it? What's going on?" he coaxed. As much as he hated complying with the captor they had to keep this call going.

He grabbed a piece of paper from the desk, wrote down on it a name and a phone number. Uraraka, who had gotten up from her seat the second Izuku's name had left his trembling lips, yet hadn't moved since, hurried over to her teacher immediately once he motioned her over. _Naomasa Tsukauchi_ _090-1795-6357_. _Call_ , the paper instructed and Uraraka was already frantically typing on her phone before All Might had turned to Iida for the second instruction.

" _Go get Aizawa,_ " he mouthed, satisfied at the sharp nod from the boy. " _Hurry._ "

"Midoriya, can you _hear_ me?" He tried again when only heavy breathing remained as his answer for an alarming amount of time.

" _I-I- Yes,"_ Izuku stammered. " _He wants me t-to ask, but-"_ An impatient sigh reached him from somewhere close to the boy's side. " _D-Don't, don't worry about me when you make your decision- I-"_ He breathed in to steady himself and the smile on his face as he spoke was audible even in his trembling voice. " _I'm fine now-"_

* * *

" _I'm fine now-"_ he began, the wobbly smile on his face hurting his skin. All Might may not be there but he could hear him and that was a comfort in itself. A comfort he was starting to believe he wouldn't be granted with ever again. It's fine now, because I am here, his hero would say. Honestly, Izuku would take all that he could get right now.

Because in all honesty, it didn't _matter_ if he got a permission born out of guilt or the need to do what's right as a teacher and protect a student in need. It didn't matter, because Izuku would _never_ willingly give his quirk to a villain and if that was enough to sign his death sentence then at least, at the very least he could get to hear his mentor's voice call his name one more time before his untimely death, after what he could only assume was several more days of… of…

He truly hoped when the time came they wouldn't show All Might the… the body. His poor mentor wouldn't be able to handle the guilt.

It wasn't as though he wasn't scared- he was terrified out of his mind and the need to scream for someone to come help him still bubbled in his chest, threatening to break free. But from the moment he got caught- _no._ No, from the moment he had accepted One for All there had been only once choice to the binary decision he was being offered here.

Hand over the Quirk and we'll let you go. Highly unlikely in itself, but that was the only way to salvation he had been promised.

Keep it and we'll kill you for it, ridding the world of One for All for good. Which was awful, not only because he would _die_ , but also because a quirk as great as All Might's would go to waste all because he trusted someone like Izuku with it.

" _What is it, my boy?_ " All Might tried again and Izuku saw the efforts to ground him, made his heart swell with sadness and deep appreciation for him. " _What do they want?"_

"My Quirk…" Izuku swallowed painfully, feeling every movement of his dried out throat at the motion. "B-But, it's not… not going to happen, I-I can promise you that."

It was then that the man who was carefully and with obvious impatience eyeing him this whole time had had enough of his self-sacrificial charade and he brought the phone, still on speakerphone, closer to himself for the next part.

"I think you're being a _little_ overdramatic, I _zuku_ ," he laughed and if he noticed the glare given at the use of the first name he gave no reaction to it. "Surely, your teacher here would much prefer it if we were to return you alive- Isn't that right, All Might?"

His pause didn't last long enough for All Might to give a proper reply, but it did the trick to up the tension before he spoke again.

"And we _are_ planning to return him to you. In how many pieces that is depends solely on how quickly he complies."

And for all the defiance and false bravado he showed his way, Izuku couldn't halt the shivers that ran down his spine at that threat. He had three large, angry marks on his chest that still ached with every breath to prove the truth of his words.

* * *

The next time All Might spoke into the phone, the class stopped breathing. For their teacher's voice was so cold, so devoid of emotion, it barely sounded like him at all.

" _Do you consider yourself to be funny?"_

Aizawa rushed in the room right then, panting, though his eyes were narrowed and shining with a focus found only in times of crisis. Iida stood next to him, shifting his gaze from his teachers to his classmates uncertainly. They had both missed All Might's words but the frigid expression his sunken face was set in, was enough to send the alarm bells in their minds ringing.

The man laughed on the other side, a hollow sound that rang false in his ears. " _Here and there. But I mean no harm, really!"_ Right." _I'm just informing you of the current situation which is more than I ought to, to be honest._ " Aizawa had come closer by then, pressed his ear against the phone next to All Might. " _I thought it would be easier for Izuku here,"_ he said and Toshinori felt his rage built up at the casual use of his student's first name, something even _he_ hadn't done yet. " _But I can see that's not going to work so early in the search, huh? Might as well end this call, right, kid?_ "

A hint of panic sparked. They couldn't hang up now.

"Wait a second there," Toshinori tried to keep his voice neutral, despite the threat of severing the one connection they had to their missing student looming over them. "Perhaps we can reach an agreement."

Another round of shallow laughter. " _It's okay,_ Number One Hero _. If you're looking for information on where to find me, I'll send you a gift real soon-"_

Frustration and anger built a roaring fire in his chest but before he could do anything, before he could threaten and curse every being in that monster's life or plead and beg for the boy's safety or the chance to speak to him for just a little while longer, someone else seemed to understand this conversation was going to end, even if they had only one side of it to go on.

Uraraka rushed to their side and removed the phone from their hands, ignoring the protests from Iida or the shocked expressions of her teachers.

" _Deku!_ " she cried into the phone and the last thing they heard before the dial tone echoed, cold and lifeless, was a choked sob that almost sounded like her name.

* * *

On the other side of the now terminated line, Izuku was still sobbing, the despair in his friend's call drowning him in guilt and a longing too great to bear alone and alone was what he was despite everyone's efforts to get him home.

And though he had promised himself to be strong and never give in to his captor's requests, he allowed himself to cry, a lifetime's worth of tears he wouldn't get to shed at his disposal.

* * *

A/N _: Do I have a thing for writing increasingly dramatic phonecalls?_

 _Actually I do not I just wrote myself into a corner where both stories I had to update somehow needed chapters with the same premise lmao. That said One Phone Call Away has been completed so if you haven't checked that out yet, do so~_  
 _I. Dislike. This. Chapter. Mostly because it feels like 2k+ worth of filler angst. HOWEVER, the events happening here will have an eventual fallout and consequences, so as much as I'd like to skip it, it's here to stay._  
 _Basically I need to start writing longer chapters so they stop feeling unnecessary to me._  
 _Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this regardless. Please don't forget to leave a comment before you go!_  
 _Find me on tumblr at saltfics. !_  
 _Till next time~_


	6. Chapter 6: Desperation

**Chapter 6: Desperation**

Todoroki watched the tragedy unfolding in his classroom seemingly out of nowhere and, for once, he was at complete loss of what to do. Others had been assigned with tasks -Uraraka, Iida... He would have begged for the same privilege. An opportunity to help, to be useful, even a little- anything so long as he didn't have to remain glued to his desk and watch as All Might clearly struggled to keep his calm while speaking, not only to their missing classmate, but to the man behind this entire ordeal as well.

He heard his teacher's voice, usually booming with a contagious excitement and a kindness that would only strengthen Todoroki's resolve to go against his father, he heard it grow colder than even his own ice could go, adopting a dangerous edge he decided he never wanted directed his way. What was scarier however were his words, for what could the villain on the other side have said, for All Might to ask him such a question with so much _rage_ echoing behind it?

But it was when his teacher attempted futilely to remain on the line with him that Todoroki knew things were bad. Some sort of agreement? With this person? Something was happening and they didn't know and Midoriya was _right there- just beyond their reach-_

Uraraka moved first. Todoroki tried the same, surprised when he realized he couldn't move, for his desk was covered in ice he had not noticed forming and by the time he had melted it off of him the line was dead and the only thing left for him to hear was his classmate's sobbing of their friend's name.

Uraraka fell into All Might's bony arms and buried her face in his chest, uncaring of how the older man was shaking almost just as much. He put his arms around her and held her close, his usually piercing blue eyes drooping in their sadness. And yet, when they turned to Aizawa, the look they shared spelt nothing else, but the desire to make the person taunting them from who-knows-where pay for the pain he was inflicting, not only on Midoriya, but on this entire class.

His desk hadn't been the only one to suffer its owner's violent emotions. The fresh scorch marks on Bakugou's were stark enough to give Iida a stroke if he happened to notice them. The others had been careful with their quirks, but the strain on their mental state was still obvious- in the white-knuckled grip Kirishima had on his notebook, in the way Dark Shadow loomed vast over Tokoyami, in the look of horror marring the expressions of more than one of them. Mina had her hands clutching her hair, while Hagakure's school uniform trembled like a leaf.

Uraraka was still sobbing in their teacher's arms.

Aizawa gave them a long stare, before commanding in a monotone voice that did nothing to mask the authority behind his words, "You are to return to your dorms, _immediately_. Class for today is cancelled until further notice. Do not go _anywhere_ without informing a member of the staff. Are we clear?" For a moment, the class remained too stunned to speak. "Are we _clear_?"

"Yes, sir!"

Despite the loudness of their response the second time around, their movements, as they gathered their stuff to leave were lethargic, reluctant at best. Todoroki melted off the last of the ice off of him, ignoring a few curious gazes pointed his way at the water that pooled at his feet. He was quick to heat it until it evaporated.

And it was then, as he felt the familiar warmth tingle his skin from the inside out that an idea formed in his mind. A terrible, awful idea that had no place in his mind, yet it had sneaked in anyway and now it would not leave.

It would go against everything he had ever believed in. But it might help him help his friend.

* * *

The girls surrounded Uraraka as they walked back to the dorms, some providing silent comfort with a gentle hand on her shoulder or her back, or merely by being close, while others, like Yaoyorozu and Ashido tried talking to her, sweet words of empty encouragement that did little in the absence of their friend, but meant a lot either way.

Kirishima didn't help when he approached them to ask about what she had heard in the few seconds she had the phone in her grasp, when Midoriya's voice was close enough for her to hear. He had meant no harm, yet the reply sprung by the painful memory of that agonizing moment that didn't last nearly as long as it should have, brought nothing positive to their mindset.

"He- he- I think I heard my- my name?" she choked out, the dried tear stains on her cheeks becoming wet once more. "It wasn't clear- he was- he was sobbing? I think? He wasn't breathing well…" And just as Todoroki thought that his heart couldn't clench any tighter at the thought of his wonderful, bubbly friend, alone somewhere, crying, Uraraka delivered the finishing blow. "He was right _there_! He was right there- _I could hear him!"_

He didn't know how to comfort her, even though he truly wanted to. He wasn't… good at this stuff. Midoriya was good at this stuff. At talking to people, at saying the right thing and making things at least a little better than they were before. He didn't know what to do to make her feel better.

Midoriya did.

So the one thing he _could_ do was try and get him back.

* * *

Once the door of his room clicked shut behind him, his resolve wavered just a hint. There was nothing to stop him now. No classmates nearby to hear him, no one to tell him what a horrible idea this was. Only himself and his fear and his hatred for what he was about to do, something he had never ever wanted to do in his life.

But this was Midoriya, who fixed people's problems even when they didn't ask him to, who broke his own arm to save him, to save this cursed self of his. If Midoriya could let his body crumble for him, then Todoroki would let his pride do just the same, if it meant he could get his friend back home.

 _Please come back._

Both his hands felt oddly cold as he grasped his phone in his hands, fingers almost numb searching for the most hated contact in it.

A sudden wave of regret washed over him, despite his determination, the second he pressed _call_.

One ring. Two. Part of him begged for his call to go unanswered.

Three rings. _Click._

" _Shouto? You're not one to call without a reason."_ Or at all. " _What do you want?"_

He switched his phone from his right hand to his left, afraid that this morning's event would repeat itself, took a steadying breath that failed to prepare him.

 _Please come back. I'm sorry._

"I have a favor to ask."

* * *

It wasn't hard to get the teachers to agree to let Todoroki see him. Of course not, not him. Such a great, honorable family. He hated the way the world bent over backwards to accommodate them. But this time, just this once, even though it went against every cell comprising his body, this was exactly what he needed.

Todoroki Enji entered the empty classroom that had been provided for their meeting. His flames burned bright like always and Shouto wondered which brave soul would ever have the guts to tell him he looked absolutely ridiculous. Maybe it'd be him. He'd like that.

"This had better be good, Shouto," was the first thing he said to him, skipping the greeting altogether. "My schedule is not as free as to justify coming all the way over here just for this."

 _Just for your son._ Todoroki fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he let his fingers curl into fists, nails digging into his skin to distract him from the pain in his chest as he voiced his request.

"I want to come intern with you during Midoriya Izuku's investigation."

Endeavor narrowed his eyes at him and the look tensed his entire body, setting off every fight or flight instinct he had.

"Why is it that I need to remind you how you _failed_ to get a licence? Perhaps if you had been more _competent_ you would be able to join the search for your… classmate."

Todoroki was careful to keep his breathing steady. _He's my friend, he's my friend, he's my friend and you're doing NOTHING-_

"I'm certain they can make an exception," he said instead, feeling the bile rise up in his throat along with the suggestion. Filthy, he felt filthy, worthless. How dare he think himself above his classmates, his friends?

But he didn't, he didn't. That's not what he was _doing_. He wanted to help Midoriya, that's all, that's all he needed and he'd do _anything-_

Even his father seemed surprised at that blatant use of lineage and power from a person who had hated himself for both. "You care that much for that boy?" Todoroki didn't dare respond. "Perhaps this will be a good lesson for you. You should have thought of that when you _failed_ your exam, Shouto."

His hands shook under the desk, the crescent shapes in his palms now letting crimson droplets stain his nails as they pressed harder and harder.

"Perhaps. But if you don't take me with you now, I'll have no incentive to come to your agency when I can. Isn't that what you want of me? To come work for you?" You can still stop talking. You can still forget this ever happened, that you ever _suggested_ something like this.

The grin spreading on his father's face made his rough features appear even harsher and the hatred boiled in the pit of his stomach once more, violent, overwhelming.

"And if I do take you in?"

Could he sign his own death sentence for Midoriya Izuku's sake?

"I'll keep interning with you. Until I finish school, I'll stay with you."

Every time.

"I'll see what I can do. But you'd better get your licence on your next exam, or there'll be hell to pay, I promise you that."

"Yes, father." Hell is already being paid, haven't you noticed?

* * *

In light of Midoriya's kidnapping, all internships had been suspended. So when he left the following day to join his father in the investigation, there was no doubt in his mind that his classmates would notice. He only wished they wouldn't call him out on it.

He didn't deserve to be so lucky.

"Why is Todoroki going on an internship?" Mineta whined, the high-pitched shrill of his voice piercing in his ears. "He doesn't even have a licence!"

The worst of all wasn't the accusation itself, truthful as it was, reminding him of the advantage he had taken. It was the way all eyes turned to him at the comment and the stares of his classmates, though not judging, weighed him down.

"It is true that this is rather unorthodox…" Iida noted, redirecting the attention towards himself, even if they were still discussing the same issue. "However, I believe that Todoroki-kun must have had a good reason for…" For breaking the rules. Iida, ever the faithful friend tried to support him. He could almost smile at the gesture. But it didn't change what he had done.

Uraraka however, she knew.

"He's doing it for Deku," she announced, certain of the truth in her words. The usual chirp in her voice was missing, yet the smile she granted him was kind, if not a little fragile. Large eyes sparkled with fondness, for she had faith in him to find their stolen friend.

And the stares eased, turned into something softer at the revelation. Some of them were even hopeful. Seeing all this trust directed his way, this understanding, despite what he did, despite this awful misuse of his position, his heart fluttered free again, brimming with determination.

The slightest tug of his lips brightened his young features and he nodded at them all, the promise ready on his lips, genuine.

"I'm going to find him."

* * *

 _A/N: Hey there! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm certainly happier about this than the previous one. But I'd love to hear what you thought! So please leave a comment below before you go!_

 _Also I keep forgetting to link this, buuut user sors-tis0-0 drew a Todoroki based on the second chapter of the fic!I'm not sure if I can link it on ff net? So either head over to tumblr or go to the cross posted version of this fic on ao 3 to find the link!_

 _Last note before I go, November is nanowrimo, so this might be the last update for a while! Sorry about that! I'll still be around on tumblr though, so don't hesitate to hit me up for anything ;) See ya~_


End file.
